Sheila Lerwill

Between 1947-54, high jumper Sheila Lerwill won four WAAA titles and enjoyed three other podium finishes. In beating Dorothy Odam-Tyler for the second successive year in 1951, she did so with a new world record 1.72 (5-7½), knocking 1cm off Fanny Blankers-Koen’s eight-year-old record.

A member of Spartan Ladies, Lerwill’s only major international title was a gold medal at the 1950 European Championships in Bruxelles. Having won that title, and set a world record, she went to the 1952 Olympics as favourite for gold, but had to settle for Britain’s third consecutive silver in the event when finishing second to Esther Brand of South Africa.

Lerwill was expected to return from the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games at Vancouver with a medal but could only finish a disappointing fourth with fellow Britons Thelma Hopkins and Dorothy Odam-Tyler occupying first and second place. Lerwill had another setback at that year’s European Championships at Berne when finishing fifth, with Hopkins again taking gold.

Lerwill retired in 1954 to go to live in Iraq where her husband Michael was the manager of a date exporting company in Basra. They returned to England 20 months later and Sheila resumed her athletics career after giving birth to her first child, and she won the Surrey County title in 1956, six years winning her first title. Lerwill was also a Surrey county netball player.

Personal Best: HJ – 1.718 (1951).